A Walk Across the Sun
by RoseyMirror
Summary: Identical twin daughters are born to the crown, named Link and Zelda after the ancient Link the Brave, Hero of Hyrule and Princess Zelda the Wise. But as any incarnation of Link and Zelda learn, their lives are not easy. (Female Link.)
1. Prologue: The King's Journal Entry

Prologue: The King's Journal Entry

 _My name is King Eric Bosphoramus Hyrule IV. Just last night, my wife gave birth to twins—identical daughters._

 _The eldest has been named in accordance with the royal family traditions, and as such she is Princess Zelda VII, after Princess Zelda the Wise, who held back Calamity Ganon for a century and saved Hyrule in the process._

 _Of course, naming both girls Zelda would be quite confusing, so the younger has been named Princess Link, after Link the Brave, Hero of Hyrule, who awoke from a century-long coma and rushed to save the Princess and free Hyrule from the clutches of the Calamity._

 _And yet, even though they will be well taken care of due to their status as Princesses, I worry. It has long been said that twins born in the royal family are a bad omen, and as such a tradition has developed of drowning the younger twin as soon as they have been born. And yet... I cannot bring myself to commit such an atrocity. Who am I to condemn a child simply for being born? And yet the nobles and Branch family will not take kindly to my decision. They will belittle Link, treat her as lower than the lowest, and that is what worries me._

 _I can only hope that she will be as strong as Link the Brave was._


	2. Link and Zelda

Chapter 1: Link and Zelda

"Link! Zelda!"

Eleven-year-old Zelda sighed as her mother called them over, the restricting corset around her waist forcing her to stand straight—though she'd wanted to bend down and smell the flowers in the gardens and maybe even use some for cooking later. She straightened her blue gown and ambled towards the call, her sister Link coming up behind her.

"I don't see how you can stand corsets," Zelda growled. "I hate them."

Link eyed Zelda enviously. "I'm jealous of the gown you wear, Zel. It's such a pretty blue."

"Well, you get to wear green!" Zelda snapped quietly back. "And Mom never lets me wear it, because she distinguishes us by our clothing colors."

"Maybe we can swap again later," Link suggested.

"I hope so," Zelda muttered, tugging on the sleeve of her dress while trying to restrain herself from ripping off the corset, the sensation made worse by the hot afternoon sun. "Who the hell invented corsets and gowns, anyway?"

"I think they're pretty."

Zelda frowned. "I don't understand how you can possibly think such death traps are _pretty_."

Link was about to retort, but both immediately clamped their mouths shut once they realized their mother was in hearing range. The older woman had long blond hair that was graying slightly in a braid, wearing a lovely purple gown. Her blue eyes watched the twins softly.

Once they stood in front of their mother, Link and Zelda bowed their heads slightly. "Mother," they chorused respectfully in unison.

Their mother emitted a soft, light giggle and the corners of her eyes crinkled in a familiar smile. Having been born outside of the royal family, her name did not follow the royal tradition of being named "Zelda." Instead, her name was Klara.

It didn't take long for her to somber, and she fixed the twins with a serious gaze. Link edged closer to Zelda, reading from her mother's face that what the Queen was going to say was not good in the slightest.

"The Branch family and the nobles are visiting tonight for the birthday of Ganondorf Dragmire, a Gerudo noble's son," Klara said seriously, her blue eyes scanning for the girls' reactions.

Zelda took in a deep, quiet breath, her eyes sharp with wariness and fiery anger. Link shrank closer to Zelda, her eyes dulled with pain and fear. Klara was agonized to know that Link feared her own family, but showing it would do nothing but worry both of her daughters.

"Go get ready for the party, girls," Klara murmured quietly, her blue eyes downcast. In a graceful motion of swirling purple skirts, she left Link and Zelda standing in the middle of the gardens, with their heads bowed together under the lovely afternoon sun.

* * *

 **Yeeeeaap, what the King wrote about how the Branch family (siblings and cousins to the main royal family) treats Link is completely true. Poor Link! I know this chapter was very short, but the next chapter will be longer, I promise. I'm writing this story to get better at writing, so please don't hesitate to critique me. That doesn't mean you get to be mean, though. Mean reviews get turned into cookies and fed to the puppies XD.**


	3. Swap

Chapter 2: Swap

When Link and Zelda reached their shared bedroom, Link closed the door behind her and leaned against it, trembling. Her large blue eyes were full to the brim with unshed tears, her plump lower lip sticking out slightly.

Zelda sighed, opening her arms. Link immediately rushed into the hug, sobbing quietly.

"We'll swap tonight," Zelda murmured quietly. "That way you'll not need to bear the burden of their cruelty."

"But then that means you—"

Zelda hushed Link. "I know. This is my choice, Link. For tonight, let me be Link, and you can be Zelda."

Link looked downcast for a moment, weighing the pros and cons in her mind. For her, the biggest downside was knowing that her sister would be subjected to the cruelty of the Branch family and the nobles, but she also knew that Zelda could handle the whispers and mean words much better than she could. Eventually, that knowledge won out, and she let out a defeated sigh.

Zelda smiled, grabbing their party gowns. She allowed Link to wear her lovely floor-length royal blue gown with the silvery patterns and pearls on it, and she wore Link's knee-length green dress with the golden belt.

"Well?" Zelda asked, twirling in Link's dress. "I think we look good."

"We'll always look great to each other," Link giggled. "After all, we're identical."

* * *

Zelda stood stiffly amidst the party, following Link closely. She did not bother to imitate Link's meeker mannerisms and stood boldly, practically daring the snot-nosed nobles to even approach her. Link no doubt was aware of this, and she sent worried glances at Zelda multiple times, though she did not comment.

Klara observed her two daughters amidst the party, both uncomfortable. She walked over to Zelda, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Link?" she asked softly. "Is everything alright?"

Zelda gave her mother a comforting smile. "I'm fine, Mom. Let those lofty nobles dare to bully me."

Klara blinked in surprise at her daughter's change in attitude, but did not appear to question it. Her eyes watched the twins for any signs of something amiss. She suspected that her daughters had changed positions, but Link always had acted this way at parties. Maybe it was just her younger daughter putting up a tough front so that she was not seen as weak.

Yes, that was it. She was about to leave Zelda and Link to the crowd, but she just as soon realized that their uncle was heading towards them. Her blue eyes narrowed into two suspicious slits, her hand practically itching to bunch up the pink-and-gold skirts of her party gown just in case she needed to kick him somewhere painful.

Link took note of their mother's stance, and upon seeing the reason for it, she tensed. She twisted her head slightly so that it was near Zelda's ear and whispered, "Uncle Bernard." Zelda immediately turned her head just enough to stare at him piercingly with one blue eye, fiery and defiant. Uncle Bernard's step faltered for a split second, so fast that if she had blinked, Zelda was sure she'd have missed it.

When he was in front of them, Uncle Bernard bowed to Klara and Link, kissing both of their hands, whilst ignoring Zelda. Link's eyes glowed with the furious urge to reprimand him, but Zelda inched slightly closer to Link and poked her softly. Link exhaled quietly, the anger still simmering behind her eyes, but it was barely there, hidden under the most polite expression she could manage.

"Hello, Klara," Bernard greeted, pearly whites shining almost predatorily. "How has my brother been doing?"

"Eric has been doing fine," the Queen replied in a manner that appeared amicable to those outside of the conversation. "And what is your business here, Bernard?" Her voice held an undercurrent of stiffness that both Link and Zelda caught immediately, and so did their uncle, as his gray eyes narrowed ever so slightly in hostility.

"Why, I can't say hello to my niece Zelda?" He gestured grandly to Link, clad in Zelda's lovely blue gown, with the lighting against its silky fabric making her look elegant and commanding.

"How out of character for you, Bernard," Klara said drily, her hand clenching into a fist amidst the frills of her skirts. "You didn't care for pointless jabber, I thought?"

Bernard had long since lost his smile, his gray eyes suddenly hard like cold stone. "I just thought I might tell you and Eric something."

Eric, having seen the tense atmosphere and Bernard near his daughters, had strode over at some point in the conversation to listen. "And what might be so important that you would indulge in 'pointless jabber,' Bernard?" he challenged, his silver eyes meeting Bernard's stormy gray in a calm stare.

Bernard regained his smile. Most would see it as friendly and charming, but it made Link and Zelda involuntarily shrink closer to their father.

"I got my newspaper delivery the other day," Bernard began. "Nothing special. But this time I had a copy..."

Link grabbed Zelda's hand and squeezed it. Klara took in a sharp breath, and Eric's glare hardened.

"And do you know what I did with that copy? I threw it away. Do you know why?" His grin widened, and his awful gaze landed on Zelda.

Zelda could feel Link's fury nearly boil over. She tightened her grip on the latter's hand, trying desperately to keep the younger calm. Link's expression had gone stoic, her eyes glowing with barely-contained destructive rage.

"Because a copy is useless."

When the sound of Link's hand meeting Bernard's cheek echoed across the ballroom, all chatter ceased and Zelda felt the weight of every eye in the room at once. The silence was thick, almost suffocating her heart in her chest and making her wonder if she had gone deaf for one horrifying moment. Klara's hand was over her mouth in shock, though whether it was from Bernard's words or the way that her daughter had reacted was unclear. Eric's face was stoic, though the gaze he had fixed on his brother was angry.

For a long, painful moment, all Zelda heard was the beating of her heart in her own chest. Her sister, wearing her elaborate blue gown, seemed to radiate the very leadership that was their royal birthright. Her eyes were alight with calm blue fire, her hand still raised.

"Get out," Link whispered. Bernard's eyes widened.

"P-Princess Zelda!" He shrieked.

"I said," Link raised her voice. " _Get out_."

"Klara, teach your daughter etiquette—"

Klara, who had long since regained her composure, fixed Bernard with an angry gaze. "I think you should leave, Bernard," she said icily.

He whimpered in fright at her tone, and in a last-ditch effort, the man turned to the King. He stared beseechingly, as though hoping that by some miracle, his brother would take pity upon him.

Eric hummed in a mockery of thoughtfulness, and Bernard's hopeful expression fell. "I find myself agreeing with my daughter and wife. You are excused, brother," the King announced with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Bernard ran a hand through his greasy, slicked-back black hair and seemed to suddenly realize all of the eyes on him. He chuckled nervously and flushed, looking around as though trying to find some form of support amongst the spectators, but was only met with the brutally cold gazes of the Hyrulean nobility. Realizing that he had lost control of the situation, he snarled one last time at Zelda, turned on his heel, and promptly left.

Zelda released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, feeling as though her heart had just stopped and restarted.

Link placed her hand on Zelda's shoulder. "It's okay," she murmured quietly as the chatter at the party resumed. "It's okay."

* * *

 **Whoop whoop! TENSION! Because we all love tension :D**

 **REPLIES!**

 **AriTheDoggo: The puppies appreciate it :)**

 **B-LightWalker: So glad you noticed that! Don't worry, she'll come into the scene later on. I will PM you the descriptions of Ganondorf and the twins. Can't wait to see the pictures! And thank you very much for your advice, I will be using it :D**


	4. Ganondorf Dragmire

Chapter 3: Ganondorf Dragmire

"Miss...?"

Zelda's elvish ears twitched at the sound of the accent of the Gerudo. The voice was deep and masculine, which surprised her momentarily.

She turned and politely offered her hand to the tall young man. As she studied him discreetly, she remembered that two years before she was born, the Gerudo chieftain had given birth to the first male in over three hundred years—an unusually long time to go without a male in the species.

She was thrown off-kilter by the knowledge that this would make him thirteen—not the man he appeared to be, but a young boy.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Sir...?"

"Ganondorf, saar'vai," he introduced himself, leaning down to kiss her hand. "Ganondorf Dragmire."

Zelda blinked in surprise. She had learned the Gerudo language as part of her royal studies, and this meant that she knew "saar'vai" meant "lovely lady." As Link, she was unused to being referred to in that manner; most Hylian nobles were quite dismissive of the younger twin.

Wishing to return his politeness so that he may not see her rude, she curtsied. "Princess Link Hyrule, saav'voe."

Ganondorf blinked for a moment, as though shocked that she had used his language in return, and then he smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess." He bowed slightly and offered his hand to her. "May I have this dance?"

Zelda smiled back in a coy manner, which in hindsight had astonished her—she had never acted this way before. "Of course you may." She took his hand and followed him to the center of the ballroom.

The song at the moment was Les Patineurs, a lovely waltz that was one of Link and Zelda's personal favorites—Link loved the beautiful and elegant use of the strings while Zelda favored the way it built up at certain points towards an epic crescendo at the end. For the time being, this was one of the calmer parts of the waltz.

As she and Ganondorf started to move to the moderate tempo of the waltz, he decided to initiate a conversation.

"I saw that spectacle earlier with Sir Bernard Hyrule. Isn't he of the Branch family?"

"Yes. How do you know him?" Zelda asked curiously.

"I had the displeasure of meeting him while he was traveling through Gerudo desert on his way to the old Arbiter's Grounds," Ganondorf answered in distaste. "Why he would go to such a wasteland is beyond me."

Zelda tilted her head in confusion. "That _is_ odd. Arbiter's Grounds is nothing but sand and pebbles now."

"I chose not to dwell on it. The man struck me as an idiot then, and tonight only supports that."

There was a lull in the discussion as the music abruptly crescendoed a bit and there were sudden rapid scales downward, in which they increased their pace and lost room to talk. It lasted for a few seconds before it slowed down again, and Zelda took the chance to resume their conversation.

"So today was your birthday?"

"Yes," Ganondorf answered, letting her twirl around for a second before resuming their languid pace. "Though I would rather it be a quieter affair, my mother would not hear of it. I don't like loud, lavish parties."

"That makes two of us," Zelda commented with a smile. "Do you play any instruments?" she asked.

"I've found the organ to be quite nice to play," Ganondorf commented, "but I also enjoy piano and oboe."

"I favor the ocarina," Zelda responded, "but I can play the piano and flute as well."

"Didn't the ancient Hero of Time use an ocarina?" Ganondorf wondered aloud.

"Yes, that's why it's tradition that all in the royal family learn to play it," Zelda replied. "To pay homage to the Hero of Time."

Ganondorf let out a baritone chuckle. "I don't blame anyone for learning to play it. It's quite a lovely instrument."

"That it is, Sir Ganondorf," Zelda agreed. "That it is."

They found themselves lost in the music as it suddenly built up the ending crescendo. Link watched as Zelda spun in her green dress, the lighting giving her a soft, pure glow. The younger smiled as she watched her older twin enjoy herself with the Gerudo noble—whom she had learned was actually the next in line to be chief.

* * *

When the party had started to die down and guests were escorted to their bedrooms for the night, Zelda, Link, and Ganondorf made their way outside to the gardens.

Once they were outside, Zelda abruptly stopped and turned around to face Ganondorf. Link tilted her head at her older sister and smiled; it was rare for her twin to make a friend.

"Ganondorf, meet my sister, Link." Zelda gestured to the younger.

Ganondorf looked between them in surprise, his mouth half-open as his eyes flickered between the two. "I thought you were Link," he said flatly at Zelda.

"We switched places for the party," Link said apologetically. Inwardly, she was surprised that Zelda trusted him so quickly, but not surprised at the abrupt and direct delivery of the statement—the older had always been the less tactful of the sisters.

"The nobles like to bully Link just because she's the younger twin," Zelda said as way of explanation. "I took her place tonight so that she could avoid it." The Gerudo male nodded in understanding at this, though Link could see that he still had questions—questions that he wouldn't ask for the sake of politeness.

As they wandered through the gardens, Ganondorf looked around, taking in everything with a neutral expression, though he couldn't hide the wonder in his eyes. Zelda didn't appear to notice as she plucked some flowers from the garden—no doubt to use as an ingredient for some dish later. Link, on the other hand, noticed it very well, and she hid a smile at his fascination with the greenery.

"This is my first time outside of the desert," he said softly after a while. "It's not home, of course, but in its own way it is beautiful."

Zelda's pointed ears twitched as she looked at up Ganondorf. She stood up, a handful of glowing flowers in her hand and a soft smile on her face.

"You can keep these in your room tonight," she said softly as she held them out. "They're called Silent Princesses—it's our favorite flower."

Ganondorf seemed to hesitate, his shocked golden eyes focused on Zelda. The older twin began to blush and hastily backtrack as she realized the implications behind what she had just said and done.

"W-Well only if you want them, I mean—"

"Thank you," Ganondorf interrupted. "I was just momentarily surprised by the offer; I wasn't expecting it." He took the handful of Silent Princesses in a soft manner that belied the strength of his large hands.

Zelda stared with wide eyes for a moment, face still red, and stuttered, "Ah, you're welcome!" Link was miserably failing to hide an amused grin, and when Ganondorf next had his back turned, Zelda gave the younger a glare.

"The newest couple~" Link sing-songed teasingly.

"I don't like him that way and you know it," Zelda grunted. "I acted before I thought, is all."

Link shrugged, but didn't stop grinning. In truth, she knew that her sister didn't truly like Ganondorf in that manner, but it was nice to see her actually interact with someone from beyond the castle. Most of the time, Zelda preferred to watch the Royal Guard train, watching in fascination as they spun a complicated dance around each other. Link wasn't as bad at social interactions—in fact, when as Zelda, the younger was more confident, poised with the grace that the older twin seemed to lack in conversations.

The trio spent the rest of the night in companionable silence, and only when the sun began to dawn over the horizon did they finally decide to separate to their respective rooms to sleep.

* * *

 ** _Gasp! Mirror updated two days in a row?! How is this possible!_**

 **We meet Ganondorf! And he's very nice right now!** **Don't worry, next chapter will be much more interesting :)**

 **AriTheDoggo: Cheeky little twinsies indeed XD**

 **Don't forget to critique me please!**

 **Ciao,**

 **Mirror**


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